More often than not, doubling an opponent’s output from the plate is going to result in a win.
The Bulldog baseball team did just that over the course of their double header Tuesday on the road against Las Cruces Centennial, notching 24 hits to the Hawks’ 13. But the stat that ultimately made the difference was runners left on base: Artesia stranded a whopping 21 on the night to Centennial’s nine.
Of those 21, 11 were in scoring position. While the Hawks’ hits were fewer, the were timely, and the result was a 7-5, 6-4 sweep for the home team.
“We just couldn’t get a hit with runners in scoring position last night,” Bulldog head coach Lee Johnson said today. “They hit the ball well when they needed to, and we left a few too many on base.”
The ‘Dogs appeared to be cruising when the double dip began. With starting pitcher Cody Fuentes and his defense successfully holding the Hawks at bay through three complete, Artesia was able to build a 3-0 lead.
Clay Donaghe initiated the scoring with a two-out double down the right-field line in the top of the second, which Miguel Martinez followed with a RBI single up the middle. Grady Frost led off with a double to the left-field fence in the third and was plated by a Jharyss Granger two-bagger to the opposite side, and the Bulldogs took advantage of a Centennial error, singles by Martinez and Fuentes, and a walk in the fourth to score on a fielder’s choice.
The Hawks got on the board in the home half of that inning thanks to a leadoff triple by Cedric Reynaud and subsequent Jesse Watson single, but the ‘Dogs were still in the driver’s seat. That abruptly changed in the fifth, however, when Reynaud launched a three-RBI homer over the fence in left with two away to put the Hawks up 4-3.
Buoyed by the turnaround, Centennial kept the pressure on in the sixth, scoring what turned out to be three significant insurance runs on doubles by Michael Arietta and Julian Seniceros.
The boys in orange mounted a two-out rally in their final at-bat, with singles by Dominic Madrid, Carlos Carrasco and Donaghe – the latter with two RBI attached – pulling them back within a pair, 7-5. A strikeout, however, ended the game.
It would be the Hawks who took control early in the nightcap, scoring their game-total six runs in the first three innings on four hits and two errors.
The Bulldogs, meanwhile, struggled to take advantage of their baserunners until the top of the sixth, when consecutive singles by Donaghe, Tristan Bowden and Martinez set the table for Grady Frost – who sent two runs around with a base hit to right – and Granger – who doubled to plate two more.
Again trailing by a pair in their final at-bat, Carrasco led off with a walk, but a pop-up to first and two strikeouts shut the book.
Fuentes took the loss on the mound in Game 1 for Artesia with seven hits, four earned runs, and three strikeouts through six. Starter Frost gave way early in Game 2 to Martinez, who gave up one earned run and four hits, striking out five, through four and two-thirds. At the plate, the ‘Dogs were led by Granger, 5-7 through two games with two doubles and four RBI. Donaghe finished 4-8 with a double and two RBI, and Martinez 3-6.
“We played pretty good defense again, but they had a lot of good hitters,” Johnson said. “You just have to tip your hat to the other team sometimes. Their pitchers did a pretty good job of keeping us off balance at times.
“We battled back both times, which was good to see, but we just came up a little bit short.”
The ‘Dogs (4-5) will now prepare to head north Thursday for the start of the Sal Puentes Memorial Tournament in Rio Rancho. Artesia opens against host Rio Rancho (10-3-1) at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
“We’re kind of resting today a little bit, and then we’ll get ready to head to Rio Rancho and have some fun,” said Johnson. “Hopefully, we keep playing solid defense. We’re getting pretty good pitching, and if our bats come around one through nine, we’re going to be in really, really good shape offensively.”
